The present invention relates to techniques for accessing multimedia information, and more particularly to techniques for generating a printable representation of the multimedia information that can be printed on a paper medium to provide a paper-based interface for the multimedia information.
With the rapid growth of computers, an increasing amount of information is being stored in the form of electronic (or digital) documents. These electronic documents include multimedia documents that store multimedia information. The term “multimedia information” is used to refer to information that comprises information of several different types in an integrated form. The different types of information included in multimedia information may include a combination of text information, graphics information, animation information, sound (audio) information, video information, and the like. Multimedia information is also used to refer to information comprising one or more objects wherein the objects include information of different types. For example, multimedia objects included in multimedia information may comprise text information, graphics information, animation information, sound (audio) information, video information, and the like.
Several different techniques and tools are available today for accessing and navigating multimedia information that may be stored in electronic multimedia documents. Examples of such tools and/or techniques include proprietary or customized multimedia players (e.g., RealPlayer™ provided by RealNetworks, Microsoft Windows Media Player provided by Microsoft Corporation, QuickTime™ Player provided by Apple Corporation, Shockwave multimedia player, and others), video players, televisions, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the like.
The tools and techniques described above that are conventionally available for accessing multimedia information focus on the electronic or digital nature/format of the multimedia information and output the multimedia information in electronic or digital form. For example, multimedia players typically execute on a computer system and output the multimedia information stored in multimedia documents via output devices coupled to the computer such as a monitor, a speaker, and the like.
While retrieving multimedia information in digital form is adequate for some users, it is a well-known fact that many users find it easier to comprehend and assimilate information when the information is printed on a paper medium rather than in the digital form. These users thus prefer to access information in a paper format by printing the information on a paper medium. For example, most people who encounter a long document will typically print the document on paper before reading the document, even though there are several tools (e.g., word processors, browsers, etc.) available for viewing and navigating the document in electronic form. While there are several tools available for printing ordinary data files containing text and images on paper (e.g., a printer coupled to a word-processor), there are no techniques or tools that allow users to print multimedia information on a paper-medium in a format and style that is readable by the user. As described above, all of the conventionally available tools and techniques for retrieving multimedia information focus on the electronic or digital nature/format of the multimedia content and output the multimedia information in electronic or digital form.
In light of the above, there is a need for techniques that allow users to access multimedia information via a paper-based interface.